NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin recently spoke with Motorsports.com ahead of the 2026 Daytona 500. During the conversation, the JGR driver discussed all that team owner Joe Gibbs has done for the Hamlin family over the past year.

In December 2025, Dennis Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE, was killed in a tragic house fire and his mother, Mary, was seriously injured. Hamlin has since claimed that his business partner Michael Jordan also offered him support. But he wasn’t emotionally dependent on Jordan because Gibbs was right there with him.

During the interaction, Denny Hamlin claimed Jerry The owner took him to the hospital the night of the incident. Hamlin further said that despite not living close by, Gibbs frequently visited Dennis in the hospital after he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Cup bosses prayed and spent time with Dennis.

“He’s made a point of visiting him, if not every week, then every other week over the past year and telling him stories and praying. You know, my dad has really worked hard over the past year to make peace with the Lord and it feels like Joe has really helped in that regard,” the No. 11 driver said.

“You know, Joe, my parents didn’t live down the street. Joe would take the time to visit and share stories. My dad really appreciated that,” he added.

Denny Hamlin The conclusion is that he is slowly getting back on track. He is still dealing with the grief of his father’s death ahead of the 2026 season. However, his competitive nature has always helped him keep moving forward. Hamlin recently competed in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium and completed the 200-lap event in fifth place.

‘We had to sell a lot of assets’: When Denny Hamlin opens up about the sacrifices his parents made to shape his dreams

In 2019, 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin was interviewed by NBC Sports. During the interaction, Hamlin expressed his gratitude to his parents for helping him become a professional race car driver.

Hamlin went on to recall the financial challenges he faced in the early years of shaping his dream. He emphasized that his parents supported him and funded his career. The driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE claims his parents even sold their assets to pay for race fuel and tires.

Denny Hamlin reflects on this Tell Kyle Petty:

“It was really a combination between my two parents. I would say, you know, my dad was the tough side and my mom was the soft side, but they both made a lot of struggles and sacrifices to continue to fund my racing. I mean, we had to sell a lot of assets to buy racing tires and racing fuel and stuff like that.”

Denny Hamlin gets his first Cup series Made his debut with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2005 and has raced for the team since his debut. Hamlin won 60 times in the No. 11 Toyota Camry before racking up 248 top-five finishes, 376 top-10 finishes and 48 pole positions in 721 races.